Leah Smith

BIOGRAPHY

What happens when you blend soul, pop, gospel, and folk together? How do you containthe youthfulness of today’s generation and the legitimacy of yesterday’s legacy in oneplace? How do you describe the ability to combine feel good music with thoughtprovoking, culture-challenging lyrics? When does the authenticity of Philly’s streets meetthe tranquil sounds of a careless waterfront haven? It all occurs when you take one listento Leah Smith. Her sound is one that transcends genres, race, and time, reaching musiclovers of all ages. Leah Smith brings back the charismatic charm that good music oncepossessed.

20-year-old singer/songwriter/musician Leah Smith has a message to get across and doesso via various musical stylings. From acoustic melodies, to heavy hitting beats, orchestralcompositions to the stripped down, unplugged sound of a sole piano and vocalist, Leahdelivers it all. Her voice effortlessly transitions in and out of high octaves, and her musicmoves from ballads to hip-hop inspired, upbeat tempos with ease.

Leah Smith has always been musically inclined. Hailing from the streets of NorthPhiladelphia she has had a collection of experiences that many do not experience in alifetime let alone within the first twenty years of their lives. Smith gave her first vocalsolo at the age of 4 and at the age of 9, began singing with the Temple UniversityProgram for Gifted Young Musicians. She began recording with the Baltimore basedgroup Sandtown before she was even in a double digit age category, began writing songsat age 11, and attended Philadelphia’s own prestigious Creative and Performing ArtsHigh School. Leah has already toured the United States, Asia, Europe, and Australia andhas shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artists such as Aretha Franklin, AliciaKeys, and Israel Houghton. At the age of 18, Smith joined Houghton’s group, New Breedand worked with them for a year and a half. While touring with the group she beganperforming the title track to her new EP entitled “Beautifully Made” which she wrotewhile still in high school. Audiences from all over the nation and the world wereimmediately drawn to the song. In the words of Israel Houghton, “Leah is already alegend at the age of 18 years old.”

The eclectic songstress has a long and varied list of favorite singers, songwriters, andproducers ranging from Tommy Sims, Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, and Shane andShane to artists like Joni Mitchell, Amel Larrieux, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, AliciaKeys, Donnie, Brooke Fraser, Chris Rice, The Police, Lisa McClendon, Kirk Franklin,DC Talk, India Arie, Musiq Soulchild, and the list goes on. Leah finds her inspiration notonly from these artistic greats but also from a compelling desire she has within tocounteract the negative messages that today’s popular music portrays. In her own wordsLeah says, “ I want a life-giving message of truth to be presented to people. I see deficitand degradation and want to respond! Having a lot of money, or having fame,possessions, the right friends, a great lover, a high level of achievement or success hasnever made one single person in all of history truly satisfied. No one has ever hadcontinuous and prolonged joy and satisfaction in any of these things. It's not reality. Yetwe turn on our radios, our TVs, and the Internet, and this nonsense is what is pumpedforever into our hearts. Artists bragging about their stuff, artists flaunting their bodies,and more-than-subtly encouraging the audience to buy into parading their sexuality toexperience true joy and freedom. It’s all lies and emptiness. Artists taking pride in whatthey assume to be their success but what is in God's eyes foolishness. This is whatinspires me to do my music and to spread the message of truth to all people.”

But don’t mistake her commitment to changing the status quo as a disconnect fromreality. Leah Smith has the ability to bring together people from all walks of life and seesher music as a uniting tool. Her lyrics express God’s love for all people. She feels astrong connection to young women and desires to address issues of self-image in hersongs. Additionally, Leah has a passion for spreading the message of her music to globalaudiences. Leah is currently working on the Beautifully Made EP, which will be releasedSeptember 8. The greatest message that Smith hopes to convey through her music to allaudiences is that “real, living hope is accessible to all.”

Leah Smith has been compared to artists such as Mariah Carey, India Arie, Beyonce, andAlicia Keys, but Leah has a sound all her own. So what do you get when you blend soul,pop, gospel, and folk music together? In the words of Leah Smith you get “SoGoPopFoFusion.” What exactly is that you may ask? Well you have to listen to Leah’s music tofind out, because right now it’s a genre of music that is all her own.

MUSIC

So what do you get when you blend soul, pop, gospel, and folk music together? “SoGoPopFo Fusion.” What exactly is that you may ask? Well you have to listen to Leah's music to find out, because right now it’s a genre of music that is all her own.

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